“The best of Sony for the best of you.”

When Sony launched its Xperia Z1 flagship phone in 2013, the key highlight of this model is the 20.7 megapixel camera. Z1 was made available in the Philippines in the last quarter of 2013 and Filipinos were so excited to get a hold of this phone with an amazing camera.

On May 3, 2014, JayR Cardozo was inspired to bring together Xperia owners in the Philippines who are into mobile photography thus the creation of the Sony Xperia Photography Philippines group on Facebook. Celebrating its 3rd anniversary, the group has 8,949 members to date.

AJ Alvis, Xperia Z1

Smartphones nowadays are competing in terms of the camera phone’s features and capabilities. Most of these phone brands are luring people into believing that the beauty of their photos solely rely on the camera, members of the Sony Xperia Photography Philippines believe that the camera is just a tool. While the fact that Sony Xperia has one of the best cameras can’t be denied, the photographer’s skill still takes most of the credit. The admins and moderators of Sony Xperia Photography Philippines aim to educate and improve the skills of it’s members to make them the best that they can be in terms of mobile photography.

Meet the admins

Geralyn Cruz-Pili

Describe yourself in one sentence
I love taking photos on trips but I don’t like posing or taking selfies.

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
Freelance web designer and I’m a full time mom. I actually wanted to be an accountant but IT was in demand then.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as an admin? Organizing events and nakaka-haggard na puyat

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
I’m happy with the awards I received from other photography groups’ friendly competition and the sold photos via Eyeem. Still working on my masterpiece though.

Geralyn Pili, Xperia Z5

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I’ve used several Sony Xperia phones. I’m currently on Xperia Z5 and Sony Alpha 6000 mirrorless camera.

What is your favorite subject?
Sunsets, Still Life, my kid and animals

Geralyn Pili, Xperia Z3

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
For now photography gives me satisfaction. The natural high it gives me when I nailed a shot. And when I’m able to share tips to fellow Xperia photographers I feel accomplished. Maybe to be an inspiration and to make a difference perhaps in the future like Von Wong. I don’t know yet.

What got you interested in photography?
I got Xperia Z1 after giving birth. All I wanted then was to post cute pics of my baby. Then I joined photography groups and later on #SXPPH (yes i’m not an admin then) and learned there’s more use of camera phones than just taking selfies. And with the 20.7mp camera of Xperia Z1 why not maximize it.

Linus Banaag

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
IT Consultant under IT Change Management..
Dream? maybe?

What are the biggest challenges of your role as an admin?
Lots of questions and inquiries from members with regards to Xperia and Photography

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
Became Sony Xperia Ambassador and Event Photographer for Team Moments And Captions.

Linus Banaag, Sony A6000

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
Both.. Sony A6000, Xperia XZ and X, QX100

What is your favorite subject?
None Perhaps? As ART is everywhere, creating photographs, telling stories through photos can be done anywhere.

Linus Banaag, Xperia X

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
I want to be a versatile photographer and be able to deliver any tasks which the client wants me to and every shot delivered would be considered as an ART. With that, both me and the llient would be satisfied.

What got you interested in photography?
I do love art ever since i was young. I used to draw stuff, do paintings, and eventually tried a camera with a film. That being said, creating pictures became so much easier specially when we moved to Digital cameras.

Linus Banaag, QX100

Describe yourself in one sentence
An Artist for both Photography and Music.

Antonio Alvis Jr.

Your current job, has this always been your dream?None at the moment because I am still a student of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and being an Animal Doctor has always been my dream since I was a child.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as an admin?
When I lost my Xperia phone.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
Being one of the Admin of SXPPH and being the winner of the 1st Mobile Photography Philippines Anniversary Photo Challenge.

AJ Alvis, Xperia Z1

What camera do you use? What is your favorite subject?

I use Xperia Z1 and my favorite subject is human and nature.

AJ Alvis, Xperia Z1 Unedited

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
I hope to combine photography and My future job as a Doctor and to have a nice shots of wild animals then have a large print of it haha!

What got you interested in photography?
When I saw some mobile shots from various mobile photographers (on instagram) and realized that not only high end cameras can take good photos.

Describe yourself in one sentence.
A person that is willing to do all the best that I can just to get what I want and a person with a big heart for God, family, animals and photography.

Danielle Panzo

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
I’m the typical 8-5 employee. Nope, I really want to travel the world and take pictures of it. The moments, the view, the locals. Everything.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as an admin? Hmmm. I would say finding time to manage and brainstorm ideas that could possibly help constantly improve the group.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
Being an admin of this group and starting my own travel diary.

I took this photo in the car on our way home. This is at SLEX, put my shades on the camera to get that reddish effect and took photos to get that picture.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I use my Xperia Z2, Xperia X and QX100 to take photos.

What is your favorite subject?
Flowers and landscapes are my favorites, they’re pleasing to the eye and it calms my nerves.

This shot was taken when we had our group’s first ever overnight photowalk in Tagaytay last April.

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
I want to accomplish my goal which is to be a travel photographer, just really sharing the scenery of this place to that place is truly fulfilling.

What got you interested in photography? What got me interested is being able to see the photos I took three years ago and the subject that I used in capturing that photo completely different but still the same. Re-living the moments through the photos and keeping it for other future family members to see.

He didn’t know that I took his photo and I didn’t expect he would turn my way when I took the shot. If you zoom in, you’ll see how happy he is.

Describe yourself in one sentence.
She doubts and smile at the same time.

IG:
Travel diary – @casualtraveler
Personal – @daniellesharleen

Rodrigo Espiritu

Describe yourself in one sentence.
Moody. I don’t talk too much to strangers but once we get along, you will enjoy my company.

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
X-ray Technologist, not my dream job. But I love it.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as an admin?
Time management. I need to give some of my extra time for the group for the assigned tasks.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography? I have won some photography contest and became a featured photographer in one of the known photography groups in social media. One of my photos were featured at Eyeem, international photography group.

This photo won in a “Nature Theme” photography contest which I consider one of my biggest achievements.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I started using Xperia z1 compact, Xperia z3, then Xperia X, (sadly I lost my X) and also Canon DSLR cam.

“Serenity”It’s a photo of a man standing along the breakwater during winter season trying to catch fish with his fishing rod. It looks so cool, calm and relaxing. Taken with Xperia Z1 compact.

What is your favorite subject?
Random

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
Be featured in any known or popular magazine.

This photo was chosen as one of the five finalists during a photo walk photography contest here in Qatar sponsored by FUJI. So proud of this though i did not win, as newbie and a first timer to join photo walk, it’s really a big thing for me.

What got you interested in photography?
I love to see things in different perspective, there are beautiful things around us that we usually cannot appreciate until we take photo of it.

The moderators

Jan Limuel Candia

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
None, I’m still a student.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as a moderator?
Reminding some members about the rules of the group.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
My biggest accomplishment so far in photography is that, I know to myself that I have improved. Also, getting my photos featured in some Photography Groups.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I’m currently using Sony Xperia™ X Performance, before this my phone was Sony Xperia™ Z2

What is your favorite subject?
Sunset, Toys, Sunrise

Jan Limuel Candia, Sony Xperia Z2

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
I want to be a great Toy Photographer someday.

What got you interested in photography?
I got interested in photography the time I got my very 1st Xperia Device(Xperia P). I was really amazed on what can a smartphone do in terms of photography. But there is one thing that I really like about Photography. It’s the fact that you can preserve​ a memory from the photos you took.

Twig. Beauty is everywhere, you just need to broaden your vision and not focus on the obvious, even mundane things such as a twig can be beautiful.

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
To finally crossover to dslr camera and probably make a career out of it. Baka ito na ang susi ng aking pagyaman. Hehehehe

What got you interested in photography?
The ability to freeze a moment and convey emotion/story through pictures is just WOW!

It’s a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time. nature itself staged the shot for me, all i have to do is capture the moment (plus it almost reached 300 likes, bonus for me hehehe)

IG: @mrvarron
Eyeem: @Malou Varron

Pierre “Kalbo” Borra

“Like a diesel engine it takes me some time to warm up with people (shy type kuno).”Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
Currently working as a creative consultant/Graphic Designer. I’ve always dreamt of serving in the military, but I had another calling.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as a moderator?
Because of working full-time, i’m still having a hard time keeping up with this fast paced group.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
Aside from being recognized in different groups. Learning from people has also been a big accomplishment.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I used to own a QX100 and Xperia Z. I’m currently using Z5p and Sony A6000 Mirrorless camera.

Sony A6000

What is your favorite subject?
I like taking pictures of toys, nature, and people.

Xperia Z

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
Enhancing my photography skill both for work and hobby

What got you interested in photography?
I’m a big Batman action figure collector that’s where i started to get the liking in photography.

“Batman”, Xperia Z

IG: @pbrx
Eyeem: @BloodWerks
FB Page: @BlooDWerks.ImaginaTM

Rhan Tepe Takamiya

Describe yourself in one sentence.
I am that person most people don’t want to deal with.

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
I am working as a Technical Director, partly because I still do software development which is my dream the only difference now is that I have both (management and developer role).

What are the biggest challenges of your role as a moderator?
The biggest challenge is to actually post much better photos than what I used to post when I am still just a simple member of the group aside from dealing with some members that doesn’t follow rules.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
The biggest accomplishment is not the recognition I received from my photos but more on the self-realization that I can do things related to arts aside from appreciating the texts in my codes.

This is the first time I cropped the photo removing >50% of the original photo in which I used to think that it will take out the best in the photo but I was wrong it looks better now than the original photo. It also gives me that NatGeo feel.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I am using Sony Xperia™ Z1, Sony Xperia™ Z5 Premium, and Sony QX-30.

What is your favorite subject?
Landscapes, because this is the first subject I used to shoot.

This is the first ever photo that I took with all the vibrant colours in it. I usually took photos in a monochrome palette because that is the only colors I know for years.

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
I hope that I can expand my skills in photography extending it to different types of photography such as Portrait, Food, Fashion, etc.

What got you interested in photography?
I took one photo before while having our company outing and someone encouraged me to take photography as an outlet on my stressful developer’s life. Heartbreak and psychological reason as well as it helps me take out depressing thoughts.

I love this photo because despite of being the “man of honour” in her wedding i get to take this photo and gives me the urge on how to take photos of other people. Some of her friends never thought that it was taken using my Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.

Krystel Artadi

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
I was an assistant fashion designer and stylist before, but i want to have my own business now I’m at an event and catering services.

What are the biggest challenges of your role as a moderator?
Actually, I’m enjoying my job as moderator.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
To be recognized. For me photography is an unending process of learning. I still want to learn more and to develop my photography skills.

I love to take pictures of beach and nature. Sony Xperia Z5P

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
I’m using Sony Xperia Z2, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, Sony Qx10 and Sony A5000

What is your favorite subject?
Portrait, Landscape and Flatlay

Flatlay using Xperia Z2

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography?
To be a Pro someday.

What got you interested in photography?
To preserve the memories and to look back at those beautiful places that I’ve been.

My friends are my favorite subject, especially when we are on our outings. Somewhere in Romblon using Sony A5000

Jovs Torreon

Describe yourself in one sentence.
A commoner who loves music, photography and cats.

Your current job now, has this always been your dream?
As Accounting Associate? I never dream of it..But destiny calls me to embrace it..I love my work and I worked for it..

What are the biggest challenges of your role as a moderator?
Time management? It is given that working professionals have busy weekdays especially if I have to render OT. I admit it sometimes I can’t check the posts every time. I only do it on breaks. Syempre, I have great time to do my tasks on weekends..

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far in photography?
The recognition I received from #sxpph family and sharing what I know.

What camera do you use (smartphone and camera)?
Smartphone: Xperia z3+

What is your favorite subject?
MATH, joke..photography subject? It depends on the mood..random subjects..I love street photography, i love shadow and contrast, candid shots of people.

What do you hope to accomplish with what you are doing in photography? To earn an income, broaden my knowledge and skills, and inspire others.

A coca-cola dependent life-form who is torn between eating and getting fit. I used to play tennis and dance zumba but is now curious if I can run farther than 500 meters. I need wi-fi like PopEye needs spinach. Bucketlist: learn how to swim and ride a bike.